Did you know Wales produces its own
whisky? It might not be as well known as its Scottish or Irish
counterparts, but that is changing.

Penderyn Whisky (which takes
its name from the village in the Brecon Beacons National Park where
the distillery is based) started production in 2000 and the first
bottle was released on St David's Day in 2004. It was the first
whisky to be (legally!) produced in Wales since the 19th century.
The distillery is situated on a natural spring and it uses this
water, to produce the whisky.

The visitor centre opened in 2008 and gives visitors a tour
explaining how the distilling process works. Even better, at the
end of the tour you get the chance to sample the whisky (or vodka,
gin or cream liquor that they also produce).

And if you're really into your whisky, why not try the Penderyn
Distillery Master Class tour. This includes a detailed
tour of the distillery, an in-depth look at how the whisky is made
and also an expert tasting session.

Today is Calan Gaeaf in
Wales. Translated into English, this means the start of
winter and is an ancient celebration to mark the Celtic New
Year.

These days the more modern celebration of Halloween is more widely
celebrated although this has its roots in the Calan Gaeaf
celebrations.

One place you should visit today is Llancaiach Fawr, a
16th century manor house and, reportedly, the most
haunted house in Wales. Many sightings and strange goings on
have been reported in almost every room of the house. Ghosts are
believed to include a former housekeeper named Mattie and that of
an unidentified young boy.

Llanciach Fawr is marking Halloween with a spooky ghost tour where
visitors can see if any spirits are coming out to play. Take
a look for yourself on the Ghost Cam, if you dare.

Aside from the ghost tours, Llancaiach Fawr itself is a great day
out. Visitors can step back in time to 1645 and the time of
the Civil War.

The house is decorated in the style of the era and visitors get
the chance to meet the mansion's servants who will tell you of what
life was like at that time. Servants you might come
across include the maids, the cooks and the groom. And if you're
lucky you might even get the chance to meet Colonel Pritchard, the
master of the house himself.

At the centre of the town is the beautiful Bedwellty Park. The 26
acre park dates from the 19th century when it was
created for the Master of the local iron works, Samuel Homfray.

The parkland is full of interesting features such as cascades, a
bandstand and an ice house. It also boasts the biggest single
lump of coal ever mined.

The park's centre piece though is Bedwellty House. Once home
to Homfray, the house has a remarkable history. As well as
being a residence, the house also became the headquarters of
Tredegar Town Council.

And it was in this council chamber that a young Aneurin Bevan took
his first steps into politics, before he went on to become the
local MP and founder of the NHS. Visitors can take a look
inside this historic room and watch a short film as well as browse
through a number of other exhibitions.

Bedwelty House and Park is open all year round to the
public.

Visitors to the house and park can relax and unwind in the Orchid
House tearoom where they can sample a range of homemade
specialities, including produce grown in its very own kitchen
garden.

Standing on the banks of
the River Wye in the pretty
village of Tintern, it's hard to imagine a more tranquil setting
for one our biggest historical attractions.

Tintern Abbey was built in
the 12th century by an order of Cistercian monks who lived in the
Abbey for 400 years. Latterly the Abbey attracted the
attention of celebrated poets and artists such as Wordsworth and
Turner.

Despite the shell of this grand structure being open to the skies,
it remains the best-preserved medieval abbey in Wales.

Just to the north of Newport lies Caerleon, a
small town with a big history. The town was once one of the
most remote outposts of the mighty Roman Empire and one of only
three permanent fortresses in Britain.

The legacy of that past is clearly visible today with many relics
and remains throughout the town. The amphitheatre is the most
complete in Britain while the barracks are the only one of
its kind still on view in the whole of Europe. A short stroll
through the town brings you to the Roman Baths, in their time a
state of the art leisure complex with heated changing rooms,
exercise rooms and an open air swimming pool.

Telling the story of the town's Roman past is the National Roman Legion
Museum. Exhibitions and artefacts show how the
town and its garrison lived, fought and died.

It's actually the second biggest castle in the UK behind
Windsor. It has been there since the late 13th
century when Gilbert de Clare decided he needed to keep the
rebellious locals at bay.

They're much more welcoming to visitors these days. They've
even built a bridge over the moat to stop you getting your feet wet
on the way in.To find out more about this impressive castle, take a
look at the video or visit the website.

And lurking amongst the flora and fauna are the Ancient Keepers of
Bryngarw - four mythical guardians of the park's woodlands,
meadows, gardens and river. Awaken the keepers with your
special 'talisman' (available from the visitor centre) and hear the
stories, myths and legends of this mysterious area.

Dinner at Llanerch Vineyard will round off the day in a relaxing
manor.

The following day, the group will head for the St Fagans National
History Museum and enjoy a trip aboard the Cardiff Bay Road
Train. Whilst in the Bay, they'll also visit the Norwegian
Church and the Senedd.

The weekend will then be rounded off in unforgettable style with a
sumptuous feast at Cardiff Castle's famous Welsh Banquets.

Event - Porthcawl Elvis FestivalLocation - PorthcawlDate - 26 - 28 September
2014Website On the face of it Porthcawl seems to be a typical British
seaside resort. Just 30 minutes from Cardiff, the town has
everything you would expect - sandy beaches, a fairground, seafront
Grand Pavilion and of course fish and chip shops.

Every September, the otherwise tranquil town comes alive as the
unlikely venue for one of the world's biggest and best Elvis
Presley festivals.

The Porthcawl Elvis Festival sees the town swamped with fans,
lookalikes and tribute acts all enjoying the atmosphere and the
various concerts and events throughout the area.

The festival is centred on the historic Grand Pavilion, a
traditional sea front theatre which is host to the main concerts
but the whole town gets in on the act with various events happening
throughout the resort all weekend.

The highlight of the weekend is the big Elvies award ceremony
where the best Elvis impersonators are rewarded for their work.